The questions were directed to John Muckler, to Brian Leetch, to Mathieu Schneider; to anyone who was going to be faced with the challenge of defending against Anaheim’s Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne at the Garden last night.

Because of various injuries to both wingers and last year’s early-season contract battle between Kariya and Disney, last night marked the first time since March 7, 1997, that the Rangers had faced Anaheim with both Selanne and Kariya in the lineup. Kariya missed both games between the teams last year, while a groin pull kept Selanne out of this season’s first confrontation, the Nov. 18, 3-1 Mighty Duck victory in Anaheim.

But there was no such luck last night for the Rangers, who entered the match seven points behind the eighth-place Bruins, with eight games remaining for both teams.

“They’ve got such great speed, both of them,” said Muckler, who planned to use Leetch and Schneider, his two most mobile and capable defensemen, against Kariya and Selanne, supporting them with a newly constructed checking line of Manny Malhotra, Adam Graves and Niklas Sundstrom. “Kariya has exceptionally good speed, but so does Selanne, whose hands are so great that he can do the unexpected with the puck anywhere on the ice.

“They dart in and out; they beat you with speed and skill. I don’t think there’s any way to defend against them 100 percent. You go in knowing they’re going to get their chances, but you want to limit them as much as possible.”

The Rangers last week paired Schneider and Leetch against the Flyers, and against Eric Lindros and John LeClair. Though the puck was in the Blueshirt zone nearly all game, Lindros’ line did not register a point.

“[Kariya and Selanne] are guys you have to stay close to, almost shadow,” said Schneider. “They’re so smart, so quick. It’s totally different than playing against a Lindros and LeClair. These guys, if you can stay close, you can hit them, try to be physical with them.”

Said Leetch: “With Lindros and LeClair, you know they’re going to want to dump the puck and then go to work in the corners, so you prepare yourself for a game that’s going to be a consistent physical, one-on-one grind. With Kariya and Selanne, they just come at you with speed and creativity, so you have to be aware all the time.”

The NHL has boasted a variety of one-two combinations throughout the years, but most have featured a center and a winger, such as Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri, or Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy.

There probably hasn’t been an elite set of matched wingers such as Kariya and Selanne since the Montreal pair of Guy Lafleur and Steve Shutt skated together, first flanking Peter Mahovlich, then Jacques Lemaire.

“All I know is that Kariya and Selanne are as good as I’ve seen together,” said Muckler. “They’re the best tandem in the league.” *The Rangers are at the Meadowlands tomorrow, trying to avoid a second straight winless season against the Devils. After going 0-4-2 last year, the Rangers are 0-4 in this year’s Battle of the Hudson. The winless streak stretches back to Jan. 12, 1997, with the Rangers 0-9-4 in 13 games against the Devils since that night’s 3-0 Garden victory. The Rangers, who swept the Devils six-love in 1993-94, have never gone through a season without getting at least a point in the season series.